A 40 year-old man was killed during the Battle Creek Field of Flight air show and balloon festival, Saturday afternoon, after his jet-fueled semi-truck exploded during a pyrotechnic performance.
The driver, Chris Darnell, was racing the modified semi on the runway, hitting speeds as high as 300 mph as two planes raced above him in the sky. The semi, outfitted with three Naval jet engines, released its parachute as it passed through a pyrotechnic explosion. This was when the semi burst into flames and exploded in front of event onlookers.
Darnell was killed in the explosion. No one else was injured.
The air show was cancelled for the rest of Saturday, but is planned to continue through Monday.
The semi, the Shockwave Jet Truck, was a part of the Missouri-based Darnell Racing Enterprise show team.
The incident is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration as well as the Battle Creek Police and Fire Departments.
